If you’re a frequent visitor to this site, you’ll probably notice that I enjoy quotes! Rosa’s written recently about quotes that matter to her, and I’ll continue to share my favorites here as well.
I wrote earlier this week about a quote that I posted in my office when I worked in state government. Here’s another one that I’d had up then, from Frederick Douglass:
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to
favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation are people who want crops
without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and
lightning.
For me, this part of the quote reminds me that struggle – rather
than something to be avoided – is actually a natural part of the
process toward the ends we are trying to acheive. We should actually
expect struggle to be a part of what we do, as much as we should expect
thunder and lighting with rain.
The quote goes on to say:
That struggle might be a physical one; it might be both moral and
physical, but it must be a struggle.
To me this says that the struggle can come in different forms – and
often not necessarily as we expect it to be. We need to expect the
struggle – and then welcome it, embrace it, absorb and transform its
energy to meet the ends we are working towards.
The quote continues:
Power concedes nothing without a
demand. It never did and never will.
‘Nuff said. Often we are working to change power structures – and change is not going to come to us on a silver platter. It never has, and never will.
The quote concludes by stating:
People might not get all that they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get.
While the tone here could be taken as a bit of a downer, for me it’s
a reminder that while we may not always be successful in acheiving our
desired ends – at least initially – that the work is still worth it.
It is work to change the world, and it’s worth it.
Before specializing as a professional coach in 2004, I spent more than a decade in leadership, management and program development for state and local government and non-profit organizations. Now I get to help leaders and teams have more clarity and ability to stand up for what's important in their work and in their organizations. Working with me, leaders and teams find more meaning and purpose, feel happier and more confident, navigate change and conflict, and work together better.
Weekend Learning Links on Business Values: Vol. 4.
Volume 4 of our Weekend Learning Links,
A great debate on this subject ravaged through my mind yesterday Hanna.
By way of either meditation or visualization I try and project positive outcomes. You might say it is a thought process based upon Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and Wayne Dyer’s You’ll See it When You Believe it.
This thought process was trying to slip out the back door yesterday as I was trying to install a ceiling fan. I am not a handyman. This does not prevent me from trying to do things. I cannot remember the last time when I attempted to do something and did not encounter a problem.
So, true to my nature, I try and not see a problem with the upcoming handyman related event. I do this though, with the full blown realization that I have always had problems.
I chuckle when I hear you say that we should expect to have struggles. Obviously this is counter intuitive to what I am trying to accomplish. Counter intuitive – but not wrong.
Not wrong because I AM trying to accept the possibility of struggle and go on with the intent that I will learn from the event and try not to get into that sort of quagmire again.
I was actually already thinking about this subject just prior to clicking on Rosa’s link to your site. I found this link today at 43 Folders that might be of interest: http://www.43folders.com/2005/01/patching_your_p.html
Thanks for the words, for trying to make a difference!
Dave
Dave,
Thanks for visiting, reading and sharing your perspective on this topic!
What I read in your comments is how having a vision of the ends you want to acheive helps you work through what’s challenging – as well as staying in a perspective that all is possible. Thanks for sharing these as other ways of transforming the struggle.
Thanks too for the 43 folders link – more food for thought!
Hanna